I Live For You
by Erik'sangel527
Summary: Sequel to ItPoaA. She was his muse, his reason for being, his everything. Without Christine in his life, Erik feels he has nothing to live for. He thought he could let go and move on, but that was before he saw her again. He hadn't known she would visit the mansion on the exact same day, at the exact same time as he. It was fate. And he wouldn't ignore fate. Modern-day, E/C...
1. Prologue

**After much debate and lots of ideas, this is the sequel to _In the Presence of an Angel_. Some of you have wanted a sequel to ItPoaA while others have not. Well, my hope is that you all will give this story a chance :-)**

* * *

**Prologue**

Life is not fair.

If life was fair, I'd still be at the apartment waiting for Meg to arrive so that we could chat about classes and fix dinner together. If it was fair, I would have thought to lock the door before I'd gone to check the mail. If it was fair, I would have sensed that I wasn't alone while I looked through the mail on the couch. If it was fair, I would have forced myself not to scream.

He wanted to talk. He said that's all he wanted.

Lies!

When am I going to learn that I can never ever lower my defenses in his presence?

Maybe if he hadn't caught me so offguard, I could have blocked him out somehow. Or maybe not.. I never was good at ignoring his 'persuasive voice'.

I'd allowed him to talk, as he said he wanted to, and that's when things went terribly wrong.

Well, things went terribly wrong for _me_, that is...

Not for Erik.

No, things are going really well for him. Here we are in his Tennessee cabin without any utilities. There is a single candle lighting the room.

The floorboards creak. I hear him coming. At least I won't be caught offguard again, I guess.

He'll be _oh so happy_ to see that I'm awake...

But his happiness won't last long. I'll make sure of that.


	2. Chapter 1- Justified

**Chapter 1- Justified**

"Drive," Erik Delozier whispered. And he kept repeating it. "Drive... Drive..." He needed to force himself to obey. Seeing her did not change anything. He needed to understand that..he _had_ to. It was coincidence, nothing more.

And even if there was more to it, it didn't matter. He'd told her he was letting go, that he was leaving and moving on. He needed to keep his promise, no matter how hard it was.

_But... How did she know? _

_There's more to it... _

_She went to the mansion, just like me. _

_There's more to it... _

_She was thinking the same thing. _

_There's more to it..._

He couldn't suppress the small reminicent smile that came to his masked face.

_Our tastes always have been so similar. _He'd nearly forgotten that.

How could he forget the way they first met, when she fell into his office like a newly unwrapped present?

Or how he'd saved her life at the bank. His timing had been perfect, as if fate really did play a part..

Or their voice lessons, how she'd asked him to be her accompanist and then he became her instructor, which she liked as well.

She used to thank him.. She was once grateful for everything he did for her...

And then he'd gone and kidnapped her. The ultimate mistake. She'd hated him with every fiber of her being during that time.

But, towards the end...

Erik began to remember something he had somehow managed to block out within the past year. She had begun to come around, especially when he found her most cherished possession- the earring. She thanked him for that. She was grateful. Things had begun to take a turn.

If it hadn't been for Nadir Kahn...

The man had gotten in the way numerous times, in multiple ways. Nadir was the primary reason she never could see clearly. If she'd only been able to see clearly, Erik was sure she would have come to understand and evaluate her feelings. She would have fallen in love with him. _If there hadn't been complications back then, she could be in the passenger's seat of this car, beside me at this very moment... We could be singing, laughing, holding hands.._

But Nadir had ruined everything! Him and his insistent meandering. _He only ever did have one goal, and that was to destroy me._

She never was able to see clearly because _he_ was always in the way, poisoning her.

What if it had been just the two of them, all along? By the time Erik had taken her to the Tennessee cabin where they really were all alone, it had been too late. The damage had already been done. She'd successfully been brainwashed into believing that he, Erik, was the bad guy when really, all along, it had been Nadir brainwashing her. It was Nadir who was the bad guy.

And now there was a criminal lurking in Tallahassee, Florida, free and able to do as he pleased. Nadir Kahn was a dangerous man. And she didn't know... She was defenseless.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, it felt as though the air was punched right out of him. Erik pulled his car to the side of the road and hunched over.

His eyes were wide. _Insight..._ So much insight.

There had been definite reasons behind taking her. All this time, for twelve whole months, he'd been forcing himself to believe otherwise.

It hadn't been some insane act of injustice. It had been _completely_ justified. Everything he did, he did because it was good for her. Whether she knew it or not, he always had her best interest at heart.

_She's not safe..._ To have gone to the abandoned mansion all alone where any criminal, including Nadir, could have been lurking was entirely unsafe. Thoughts of the bank incident came back to him. His sweet innocent had been harmed by a criminal that night. _What if I hadn't been there?_ Again, that same scary question...

She needed to know the truth! She needed to be aware of the horrible things Nadir had done and was likely still doing. She needed to be aware so that she could protect herself.

He had to see her!

He needed to be in the presence of his angel one more time to make her understand.

_Christine Daae, I will find you._


	3. Chapter 2- Justifiably Happy

**Chapter 2- Justifiably Happy**

_I feel so relaxed now_, Christine Daae realized as she drove to her apartment. It'd been a long time since she'd truly felt at peace.

_I can actually get my life back on track. I don't have to fake it anymore._

Going back to the mansion had felt so scary, and the whole place looked really terrifying now, but it turned out to be a great idea. Christine now knew it was best to approach her fear, up close and personal, to be able to move on.

She laughed while pulling into a parking spot at her and Meg's apartment complex.

If she'd only known going back to the mansion would be all it took to make her feel some happiness again, she would have done it months ago. But... It wasn't just seeing the mansion that made everything better. It was seeing Erik.

To actually _see_ his changes, not just read about them in a letter, was exactly what she needed. She believed him. She didn't have to be scared of the 'what if's anymore because he had put her mind at ease. She felt real closure now.

"Meg?" Christine called when she entered their third-floor apartment. She hadn't yet gotten used to the three flights of stairs and was feeling out of breath.

"Hey Chris," Meg greeted from the kitchen. "How was home?"

"It was really good. My dad and I had fun catching up." She took her belongings to her room and met Meg in the den. "And now I feel rested and ready to start the week."

Meg blinked. "Well aren't you just a little ball of energy? Wow, you're in a good mood, aren't you? I can tell. I mean, you're _beaming_!"

Christine scratched the back of her head bashfully and laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Well that's perfect! Your energy is exactly what we'll need at the grocery store." Meg held up a loose sheet of paper. "Ready to go? I already made the list."

"Is coffee creamer on it?"

"Check!"

"Orange juice?"

"Check again!"

"Hmmm.. A1 Sauce?"

"Of course! I mean, who could forget that staple of life?"

They both laughed before closing and locking the apartment door and heading downstairs. "I'll drive," Meg offered. "It's my turn."

"Actually I think it's my turn.."

"Well, you've already driven some this weekend while I've pretty much just been lazy and watching TV. So I'll drive. What are friends for?" Meg gave her a side hug. They both got in Meg's white Toyota Highlander, which was parked right next to Christine's blue Hyundai Elantra, and drove to the grocery store.

* * *

Erik was driving through yet another apartment complex parking lot searching for one thing- Christine's blue Hyundai Elantra.

If there was a single good quality he possessed, it was his keen eyesight. While moping around the cabin for the past year, he'd convinced himself that he hated his own personal traits. But, well, perhaps he didn't.

If it hadn't been for his abnormally good vision, Erik wouldn't have noticed the parking sticker on the back window of Christine's car when he'd left her at the mansion. The words, "APARTMENT COMPLEX' stuck out more than the name of the complex itself, but that in and of itself gave him an advantage.

She was out on her own now and not living with her father. That meant she felt comfortable, independent, safe... Oh how wrong she was.

He was beginning to feel a strange, yet familiar, sense of empowerment. He would save her. He would protect her from Nadir Kahn, and any other criminal. _I am the good guy._

Pulling into a seventh parking lot, Erik immediately noticed that the parking stickers on the back windows of each car looked exactly like the one he'd seen on Christine's. That was promising.

And then he saw it. A blue Hyundai Elantra. The color was a match. The sticker was a match. And the pearl necklace hanging from the car's rearview mirror -which he just so happened to see while at the mansion, as well- was a match.

He parked his Jaguar in the empty space next to it and inspected his surroundings for a good three minutes before finally opening his car door. This apartment complex was huge. He wanted to see if there were any clues as to which apartment number was hers. Perhaps there would be some identifying piece of evidence inside her car. Of course if he couldn't figure it out this way, there were always other ways.

He peered through the passenger's side window. _Envelopes._ There were a few pieces of mail on the seat. _Christine Elizabeth Daae. 50 Ludgate Lane, Apt. 315_.

Erik smirked. _Bingo._ Except, the fact that she was leaving her mail in clear sight for any stranger to see was not wise at all. They were going to have to have a long talk.

Now all that was left to do was watch the scene for a while, then choose a time and way to make an appearance.

He could picture their meeting now... He would have to explain himself, and quickly too, so as not to alarm her. But then, after hearing everything he had to say, she would be grateful. She would probably thank him! And they could pick up where they left off. Oh, how he couldn't wait to see that precious smile again...

* * *

Christine and Meg returned from the grocery store about two hours later. It took five trips up and down the stairs to get all the bags.

"I'm getting some major calf muscles," Meg announced after they'd finished putting all the groceries away.

Christine collapsed on the couch in a dramatic way. "I feel like I've just run a marathon!"

"Ha! We won't even need to use the gym this semester. We've got our own right here!"

"You've got that right." Christine sat up and looked at the time on her cell phone. "Have you studied any this weekend?"

"Seriously, think about what you just asked and who you're talking to..."

"I take that as a 'no'."

"A definite 'no'."

Christine laughed and shook her head. "I have some reading to do before class tomorrow, so I'll be back in a bit and we can make dinner."

"Cool. You know where I'll be."

Grinning, Christine asked what she already knew the answer to. "Sitting here on the couch watching TV?"

Meg chuckled and grabbed the remote control to the television. "You know me so well, Miss Daae."

Standing still for a moment, Christine softly said, "I like it here. I like this freedom."

Meg was so glad to see her best friend happy. She deserved this. "Me too, girl. Me too."

* * *

Erik spotted his dark-haired beauty the moment she stepped out of the white vehicle. He was crouched behind some bushes in a wooded area across the street from the apartment complex.

This way of watching her felt so familiar...

It was exhilarating.

She had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing a pink blouse and jean shorts. She looked positively radiant. He watched as she smiled and gathered groceries from the backseat. She was with a friend, most likely her roommate. He gazed at his angel as she laughed, her head tilting back slightly. _How could I have been away from this for so long?_

It didn't matter. The past did not matter anymore. What mattered now was the present and future. It was time to devise his plan.

* * *

**I hope this story is proving to be enjoyable so far. **

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Lauren **


	4. Chapter 3- Justifiably Meticulous

**Chapter 3- Justifiably Meticulous**

Five days passed...

Erik thought and thought. At first his thoughts were clean, pure. _There really is no good reason to see her again. Only bad would come of this encounter._

But then, the thoughts became less clean, less pure. _To see her again would bring satisfaction. To talk to her would be beneficial, not just for me, but for her as well._

And also, _She doesn't deserve to be in the dark any longer. She must know what Nadir has done, how criminal his actions have been. And if she does not believe me, I must convince her._ No matter what she thought she knew, it wasn't accurate. Her thoughts were being manipulated by society. _Society be damned..._

_She only needs to listen to one person, and that is me._ Erik knew her mind was clouded, her vision blurry. _All because of them..._

Erik was sure this female roommate of hers was not much better. She was likely feeding Christine even more lies.

His precious Christine was in grave danger. And it was time to save her.

The several days consisted of more than just 'thinking' for Erik. There was also 'doing'. Erik performed a series of experiments, which consisted of memorizing Christine's daily routine and making certain adjustments on his part in order to always be a step ahead of her. The final result was that Erik was able to sneak past her at certain times throughout the day without her knowing or becoming suspicious.

By the fifth day, he had successfully managed to enter her apartment three times. Better yet, he had stepped foot in her bedroom twice. Those times were precious. The room smelled like her. And he loved every second of it.

On the fifth night, while sitting in a relaxed position in his outdoor hiding place, it couldn't be denied that his thoughts had changed completely. When it came to the past, his focus was only on the good now. The horrors and regret were buried deep and replaced by confidence and abundant hope. Given a little time with only him in her presence, Erik knew Christine would succomb to the truth of things.

His excitement had built and built with increasing speed until, on that sixth morning, it was time to fulfill his meticulous plan.

Erik stood from his seated position amongst the thick brush across the street from the apartment complex. It was Saturday. Christine's roommate had left a short time ago in her white Toyota, so that meant that Christine was all alone.

_It is time. _

For the past five days, Christine had checked the mail at the same time- 12:30pm. It was during her lunch hour between classes. Only, he hoped her Saturday routine was the same, even with there being no classes.

He walked inside the complex and through the first-floor hallway until he was behind the staircase she would soon descend. It was 12:25. _Any minute now..._ Her mailbox was one of many locked boxes in a small building outside the complex. It allowed plenty of time for Erik to slip inside her apartment. Luckily, she never locked the door due to it being such a short journey.

Erik suddenly heard her gentle, light footsteps coming down the stairs. He'd memorized everything about her, including the sound of her movements. His lips curled upward as she left the building. And then he raced up the stairs to the third floor. It took 45 seconds.

He reached the door of apartment 315 in the next five seconds and quickly scanned the hallway before opening the door, walking inside, and closing it behind him.

_First thing's first..._ Erik Immediately grabbed her cell phone off a coffee table in the den before going to the half bathroom, which was the first door to the left after entering the apartment. It would allow him time to block the door after she walked inside and went to the den or kitchen.

Everything was going according to plan. All that was left was for Christine to reenter the apartment.

About two minutes later, the door opened and he heard her precious voice.

"See you later, Garrett."

Erik froze. _A boy?_

The situation was even worse than he'd previously thought. Not only was his Christine being manipulated by Nadir, her roommate, and undoubtedly her father, but now there was _another_ distraction in her life.

The door shut and he heard her walk down the hall towards the den.

In the past five days, Erik had never once seen any indication of there being a boyfriend in the picture. So that meant she was sneaking around with him, _this Garrett_.

His eyes closed briefly in the dark bathroom. _No more. No more of these games! She is my life! My life! And I will be hers..._

Erik exited the bathroom and slowly walked down the hall towards her location. There was no going back now.

He stopped when he reached the edge of the hallway and turned his head to the left in order to look at her. She was sitting on the couch looking through mail. He crossed his arms in front of him in a casual sort of way and then broke the silence.

"Hello Christine."

Christine literally jumped and the mail fell to the floor. Her head whipped around to face him and he saw the surprise on her face increase ten-fold, as well a look of true horror appearing. She immediately stood from the couch and backed away from him slightly.

"Surprise," he announced with a smirk while studying her every reaction. "Now sit back down, my dear. We need to talk." His voice was determined and focused. He was ready for this.


	5. Chapter 4- Justifiably Certain

**Chapter 4- Justifiably Certain**

Christine's heart was beating wildly against her chest. _Erik?_ He was here.. In her apartment.. Uninvited.. It was like a nightmare, an unbelievable nightmare. _How can he be here, like this, after everything?_ They'd said their goodbye's! They were moving on, both of them. He'd said it...and she'd believed him. _He broke into my apartment.. And he's blocking the only way out.._

There was only one explanation for this..._ Don't freak out_, her mind urged. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her pulse.

Erik watched her from his distance, studying her emotions as she took it all in. Shock and disbelief were displayed openly in her expression. But then, suddenly, her face became unreadable. She was trying to act brave.

She began looking around, obviously trying to locate something specific.

Perhaps he could help her out. "I suppose you are looking for this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

Christine bit back a gasp. If his actions were this calculated, then that meant that his intentions were inevitable... _This can't be happening! Not again!_

"Christine, I know you are jumping to conclusions. Please don't do that. I only took your cell phone so that you could devote your full attention to this meeting."

He sounded so calm, so focused. "How in God's name-? You broke into my apartment... What in the hell are you even thinking?" There was anger in her tone as she tried to suppress her panic.

"I told you. We need to talk."

"We already talked! At the mansion! There's nothing else to say! You need to leave. Right now." _Come on, listen to me..._

"No." Before she could yell at him more, he said, "I'm not leaving, not until I've had my say."

There was really no choice but to listen to him. "...So you'll leave after you've had your say?"

Erik looked into her eyes. "Of course."

There was no way out of this for now, so she might as well just give in. "Ok."

"Alright, now that that is settled.. Please, sit down."

He sounded like a formal host or something. Hell, he even looked like one in his black suit. She distantly wondered if he had even changed clothes or showered since their encounter days ago. Christine sighed and moved to sit on the end of the couch farthest from him.

Pleased, Erik said, "Good. Now, I need to reveal some important information to you." He paused before saying, "Nadir is trying to manipulate your mind." After a second, her brow furrowed. Erik frowned. "And it looks as though he is succeeding."

_How ridiculous!_ "What the-? I haven't even seen Nadir in, like, _months!_"

"Yes, well, what did he say to you months ago?"

_He's still holding a grudge against Nadir?_ Christine stared at him like he was crazy, wondering why on earth he was still fixated on this after a year. "Lord, I don't know! I mean, it was nothing important at all. It was just small talk."

Unconvinced, he asked, "There was no mention of...the past?"

She rolled her eyes. _Seriously?_ "No, there was no mention of it! God, I can't believe you came all the way down here for this."

"What about your father? What lies is _he_ feeding you?"

Christine's jaw clenched at his accusatory tone towards her father. "Nothing that I don't already know! You kidnapped me, it was wrong, you're probably going to go to hell for it, and blah blah blah. But it's in the past! Get over yourself already!"

He didn't say anything to that.

"Geeze, and here I thought you'd changed.. That you were more _mature_ now. But I was obviously wrong. You're still blaming everything on other people." And he continued to stay silent. Christine was becoming more frustrated by the second. "I told you to leave and never come back! Remember that? Obviously not... You know, you could be in prison right now! But I gave you a chance! I gave you your freedom!"

"And I thank you for that. Your benevolent nature has always been very appealing."

His creepy compliment made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Well, are you satisfied now? Can you just go already? My roommate will be back soon."

"And what about this roommate of yours?" Erik asked bitterly. "Is she the one who has convinced you to find a _boyfriend_?"

Christine blinked, totally not expecting that.

Her confusion was aggravating. "How much does this 'Garrett' mean to you? Has he become your lover, Christine?"

The detest she heard in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Erik was angry. And Christine remembered from past experience the things that could happen when he got angry... This she couldn't take lightly. "That guy is not my boyfriend, Erik. He's just a friend. Or, I don't think I can even call him that. He's an acquaintance and that's it. Seriously, there's nothing going on between us."

Studying her, Erik saw the true fear she was trying to hide. He realized he needed to calm down. "Fair enough. I believe you." She looked relieved. "One more question... Do you still sing?"

She sensed the hope in his tone. He wanted her to say 'yes'. _If I lie, he'll leave..._ "Yeah, all the time."

The remembrance of her voice was enough to bring back every memory of the past... She became his life so quickly. He had gotten to know her both inside and out. And once he became fixated, there was no turning back... And that was how he knew now.. "You're lying."

_Oh no!_ "Wha- No I'm not," she insisted.

Erik shook his head decidedly. "You cannot fool me, Christine. I know you better than that." He sighed. "Your voice had so much potential, too. It is regrettable." He gazed into her eyes then, loving that he could still read her so well after all this time.

A battle waged in his mind. It had actually been ongoing since their conversation began... Christine was still so lost in this world, so fragile. Her mind was too easily manipulated, that much was clear from the way she answered his questions. She still needed his guidance.

_But she doesn't want me... She does not see things the way I do.._ It was unfortunate but true. He'd known she would be stubborn, though. And frightened, and confused. Yet he'd still made the choice to come..

It was that confusion in her eyes. He had a feeling it would be there, and it was. What was concerning was that she had allowed him to stay this long without much protest. If he -the man she said was probably going to hell- was able to stay this easily, then who's to say that she wouldn't allow any other man to stay, even if it was dangerous?

_No, she is not safe. Whether she knows it or not, she needs protection..._

"You said your roommate would be arriving soon, yes?" Erik asked softly, thoughtfully.

Christine nodded adamently. "Yes. So that means you need to go. She can't see you."

_Hmmm.._ That was interesting. "Why can't she see me?"

"Because you kidnapped me! And you were never convicted for the crime!" _Duh.._

"So, let me make sure I understand you. Although I have broken into your apartment -which is also a crime- you still do not plan to, how did you say it.. have me convicted?"

Christine was becoming more and more paranoid that Meg really would arrive soon. It was time to reassure him so that he could finally be fully satisfied and leave. "No, ok? I don't want you to go to jail. I just want you to leave and go back to the cabin!"

Erik actually smiled. "I want that, too. But Christine... I won't go without you."

She let out the gasp she had suppressed earlier. "What?" She stood from the couch shakily. "Y- you can't be serious.." She couldn't hide her panic anymore as sweat began to form on her forehead. _I have to get away from him!_ Tentatively, so as not to alarm him, she started moving towards her bedroom. _I have to get in there and lock the door! _

He could sense her intentions. "I didn't think it would come to this." Erik took a small step towards her. "But you made it so easy." Another step. "I cannot move on, it is impossible. I need you in my life, Christine." Then, without hesitation, he ran at her, all the while removing a cloth with Ethyl Ether from a plastic bag in his pocket.

She screamed bloody murder at his speed and attempted to dart towards the safety of her bedroom.

But Erik grabbed her hand before she could reach the doorway, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind so that she couldn't obtain her goal. He forced the cloth under her nose as she screamed and struggled against him.

Her fight wavered quickly until her body finally became limp.

Erik gathered her into his arms and looked down at her tear-stained face.

"And you need me," he whispered.


End file.
